


The Science of Love

by merrymiscellaneous



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ambassador Sokka (Avatar), Aphrodisiacs, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Firelord Zuko (Avatar), Fluff and Humor, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Love Confessions, Love Potion/Spell, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining Sokka (Avatar), Pining Zuko (Avatar), Romance, Soft Zuko (Avatar), fire lilies, sokka is clueless, sokka is the smartest idiot ever, suki is a good bro, zukka - Freeform, zuko is smitten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:07:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27804307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merrymiscellaneous/pseuds/merrymiscellaneous
Summary: Bursting through the doorway of the kitchen, Sokka looks around frantically to notice two prominent things: 1) the kitchens themselves are almost completely empty and spotlessly clean, which does not bode well for his missing ingredient. And 2) Zuko is sitting on the counter in dragon-printed pajama pants, looking back at him like a deer caught in the headlights.While working on his newest passion project in Caldera, Sokka accidentally misplaces a highly untested and possibly volatile container of granulated aphrodisiac crystals. Teo is going to kill him.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 301





	The Science of Love

**Author's Note:**

> hi everyone!!! IM BACK and this time I decided to switch it up with a lil Zukka fic this time around :) I actually wrote this piece awhile ago, but I never got around to publishing it so I HOPE YOU ENJOY! :) at this point the red and blue gays live in my mind rent free

Working as the Ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe in Caldera is a full time job, but that doesn’t stop Sokka from finding time to work on his miscellaneous passion projects on his days off. He doesn’t have too many days off—politics, peace treaties, and meetings with foreign dignitaries keep him  _ very busy— _ but when he does, Sokka embraces them. He keeps in frequent contact with Teo and the mechanist, debating various engineering strategies and describing prototypes until his hands hurt. Hawky certainly gets a lot of exercise. Now that Sokka has more experience with solving real world problems, he has about a million ideas on how to help people all across the four nations. 

When Sokka moved into the palace full-time after the war, Zuko designated an entire corridor of the palace to Sokka’s invention workshop. Explosions and loud curses often rattle through the surrounding hallways, but for the most part, Sokka’s kept everything in one piece. Plus, his workshop is right by the Royal kitchens, which means that he can snack whenever he runs into frustration or inspiration drought. Unfortunately and fortunately, Sokka spends  _ a lot _ of time in the kitchens. 

And those are the same exact kitchens that he’s currently racing towards in a flurry of anxiety and disarray. He checks the pockets of his tunic while he skids around sharp corners and dodges unsuspecting maids, but the object he’s searching for is still nowhere to be found. 

Earlier this morning, Sokka had been working diligently in his workshop, tweaking old inventions and drawing up diagrams for new ones, when the rumbling in his stomach led him (as always) to the kitchens. He’s been living in the palace for so long that the kitchen staff usually ignores him unless he asks for something, letting Sokka rummage through the pantry whenever hunger strikes. This morning, he’d made himself a quick breakfast and sat at the island counter, perfecting the final ingredient of his newest experiment. 

And then later he had forgotten that  _ crucial  _ and  _ probably dangerous _ ingredient in the kitchen. Like an absolute idiot. 

Bursting through the doors, Sokka looks around the kitchen frantically to notice two prominent things: 1) the kitchens themselves are almost completely empty and spotlessly clean, which does not bode well for his missing ingredient. And 2) Zuko is sitting on the counter in dragon-printed pajama pants, looking back at him like a deer caught in the headlights. 

Sokka doesn’t have time to process that, but his brain does anyway.  _ Why is Zuko wearing pajama pants in the kitchen? And why in the middle of the day? He looks soft and cuddly, which kinda makes Sokka want to curl up next to him and stay like that forever.  _

Anyway, back to Sokka’s regularly scheduled panic meltdown. 

“Hey—uh, Zuko? Have you seen a little container of crystallized powder anywhere?” Sokka asks in a strangled voice, feeling himself slowly get more and more frantic by the second. He almost feels dizzy as a thick layer of fear begins to set in, struggling to breathe properly as his throat starts to close up. Sokka looks around at the freshly cleaned counters and workspaces. Panic seizes his body in a death grip while his heart pounds rapidly against his rib cage.  _ No. No. No. No.  _

Teo is going to  _ kill _ him. 

This ingredient certainly isn’t some stupid compound that can easily be replaced. Nope. Because Sokka is the smartest idiot known to mankind, he somehow happened to misplace an entire container of granulated aphrodisiacs imported from the Cave of Two Lovers. Sokka was hoping to utilize the love crystals in the fire nation’s plans to repopulate the dragons after years of poaching. In theory, the aphrodisiacs should amplify reproductive hormones during dragon mating seasons without harming any of the animals involved. Zuko has been specifically enthusiastic about these plans to save the dragon population, which only fuels Sokka’s drive to complete the project. Making Zuko happy has become one of his favorite things to do. 

But unfortunately, these crystal compounds are highly untested and possibly volatile when mixed with the wrong components, so misplacing the aphrodisiacs is certainly not high on his list of things to do. 

Sokka stumbles past the doorway of the kitchen after processing the initial shock of seeing Zuko there. He’s fully prepared to start ripping open cabinets and searching underneath various kitchen objects, no matter how expensive the appliances. Zuko looks up from his tea with startled curiosity as his best friend frantically paces around the kitchen, muttering to himself like he’s talking to the spirits. Maybe he is. 

Zuko stares with an eyebrow quirked in confusion, his mouth pulled into a worried frown. Sokka pauses in the center of the kitchen with wild eyes, taking a shaky breath as he views his surroundings. Zuko himself is still sitting with his legs crossed on the kitchen counter, looking extra comfy in a slouchy sweater and printed pajama pants. For another brief moment, Sokka’s brain malfunctions and he forgets what he’s looking for. Thankfully, Zuko’s answer snaps him back to reality.

“What did it look like, Sokka?” His smile is soft, face still scrunched a bit in confusion, but Sokka can almost feel the warmth and fondness radiating off him in waves. Suddenly, he feels a little more at ease. It makes Sokka’s heart swoop in his chest. 

“Uh—It was a small, glass container. I swear I left it out on the counter somewhere. I was just about to use it.”

Sokka’s eyes sweep across the room over and over again, but he still finds nothing. He’s starting to grow desperate now, frantically opening more cabinets and drawers, tossing appliances aside in his haste to find his missing ingredient.  _ How could he have been so careless? _

Zuko furrows his eyebrow and hops off the counter, moving toward him to wrap his arms around Sokka’s middle. It’s solid. Comfortable and warm. It grounds Sokka for a moment. Resting his chin gently on his shoulder, Zuko whispers in his ear softly, “I’ll help you find it, Sokka. Do you want me to make you some tea? Take a seat.”

Still semi-frozen in panic, Sokka follows wordlessly as Zuko maneuvers him towards the kitchen counter. Zuko is tracing soothing patterns across his back and talking in a calming voice, so it’s no surprise that Sokka melts like putty in his hands. He’s always been weak for soft touches—especially from Zuko. They’ve grown a lot closer over the past three years spent in the fire nation, so casual touches are almost expected—if not encouraged. No one has ever truly understood Sokka the way that Zuko does so effortlessly. They both recognize when the other has been working too hard or needs to vent out various frustrations, equipped with comforting tones and guiding hands. 

Taking a deep breath, he allows himself to focus on the soothing presence of Zuko’s hands on him and starts to think about where he last saw his important ingredient. “Sorry for freaking out, this ingredient is just very important. Teo will kill me if I lose it.” 

Zuko grins, squeezing Sokka’s shoulder softly before stepping away to grab the tea kettle. “I’m sure with the two of us looking we’ll be able to find it in no time. But first, let’s have some tea to gather your thoughts.” 

Zuko is right, as usual. Tea always helps to soothe Sokka’s anxieties and calm his mind, especially when he’s worried about difficult experiments or measurements. He’s never been one to consistently drink tea, but after spending so much time with Zuko, Sokka finds that he enjoys it. He enjoys these quiet moments between the two of them together. The tea isn’t half bad either, especially after Iroh spent hours explaining to his nephew the many delicacies of tea pouring.  _ Even the Fire Lord should know the details of proper tea preparation, nephew.  _

Sometimes, Sokka is convinced that Zuko understands him better than he understands himself. He always knows what Sokka needs before he needs it and exactly when to offer a helping hand. It’s one of the many reasons why Sokka has found himself hopelessly in love with his best friend for almost as long as they’ve lived together in the palace. Which is now quickly approaching its four-year anniversary.

Sokka secretly studies Zuko while the Fire Lord focuses on retrieving the tea kettle. Just like Sokka, today was also his day off. All business meetings had been canceled today in honor of a famous holiday Sokka likes to call  _ Lazy Exhaustion Day.  _ The fact that the firebender has slept in so late past sunrise was telling enough about how physically and mentally exhausted he had been. Zuko’s hair is still adorably mussed from sleep, his flowing locks sticking up in some areas to create a beautiful floof. Sokka constantly finds himself wanting to run his hands through it, but resists the urge. 

On Zuko’s way back, he grabs Sokka’s favorite mug—the one Aang got him for Christmas last year for Secret Santa. The young Avatar claimed it had “Sokka energy” with an awful pun about meat on the front and a grinning piece of steak flashing finger guns on the back. Sokka loves it. 

“Here you go.” Zuko murmurs, filling his mug before placing a container of sugar and a bottle of honey in front of him. “I know you pretend to like your coffee and tea bitter, but I decided to give you the option between honey and sugar. I like sugar myself, but to each their own.” 

Sokka is about to whine about Zuko bullying him for his pretend preferences, but suddenly chokes on his unsaid response as he notices the jar of sugar placed on the table. His stomach drops and his heart races.  _ That isn’t their normal sugar.  _ Of course, because the universe actively despises Sokka, there are his goddamn granulated love crystals. In Zuko’s hands. 

Zuko stops laughing in confusion, noticing Sokka is no longer amused as he stares with wide eyes at the ‘sugar’ on the table. “Uh, Sokka? Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale.” Zuko bends down next to him, softly sweeping his bangs across his forehead to check his temperature. He hadn’t even realized his hair had come loose from his signature wolf tail. Sokka tries not to melt into the touch. 

He looks worried, but Sokka’s mind is too far away to attempt to console him. He wants to make a joke like  _ no, you’re the pale one,  _ but his mind is racing a mile a minute trying to wrap his head around this. 

_ Did Zuko touch the love crystals?  _ Or worse—did he put them in his  _ tea _ ? He claims to like sugar the best in his tea, but that is certainly  _ not _ sugar. But then why is Zuko acting the same as usual towards Sokka? As his best friend, Zuko always comforts Sokka when he becomes frantic and worried. If he really did ingest any love crystals, wouldn’t Zuko be throwing himself at him and talking nonsense about love? 

Sokka takes a shuddering breath, trying to play off his panic so Zuko doesn’t start to worry. Even though Zuko said he preferred sugar, maybe he didn’t add any to his tea yet. Sokka tries to calm his rapid heartbeat.  _ Holy shit, what if he just indirectly love drugged his best friend? _

“I-I’ll just take honey, thank you.” Sokka mutters, watching carefully as Zuko beams and reaches to pour some into his tea. Then the other boy smirks, sharing a secret smile with him. 

“Of course,  _ honey _ .” Zuko’s grin widens considerably at the pet name, looking quite proud of himself. Sokka stiffens in shock and awe, his jaw dropping and cheeks aflame. Zuko teases him all the time, calling him all sorts of silly nicknames every chance he gets. Is this nickname like those—teasing and friendly—or something more? Should Sokka be worried? Why does he keep asking so many questions? He feels like his head is about to explode. 

“Good one.” Sokka manages weakly, his voice shaking slightly. If Zuko notices his best friend’s weird behavior, he doesn’t say anything. 

“I’ll clean up the tea supplies and then we can try to look for this missing ingredient. Does that sound okay?” Zuko questions, beginning to collect their empty dishes in a neat stack. Luckily, he has a lot of practice balancing cups and plates after working in his Uncle’s tea shop in Ba Sing Se. Sokka watches with interest and tries to covertly determine if his friend had ingested the aphrodisiac crystals or not. 

Zuko takes the dishes to the sink, humming a pretty tune underneath his breath as he works. Sokka immediately recognizes the melody—it’s the distinct tune of a Water Tribe song he had shown Zuko a few weeks ago. It’s his favorite song to listen to when he’s reminiscing on his childhood or homesick for the South Pole. Something inside Sokka’s chest grows warm at the idea of Zuko remembering the melody after all this time. 

“Is that the Water Tribe song I showed you?” Sokka asks casually, leaning against the counter to gaze at Zuko’s form. His voice comes out softer than he anticipated, like his subconscious was afraid to break the sanctity of the moment between them. 

Instead of freezing up or acting embarrassed like Sokka may have expected, Zuko turns back towards him with a soft smile. He looks so content—hair adorably mussed and sleeves rolled up past his elbows as he washes various dishes—that Sokka’s heart clenches in his chest. “Yeah, it is. I think it’s very pretty.” 

“I didn’t know you liked it so much.” 

Zuko tilts his head to the side, drying off his hands as he considers. “The song makes you happy. And you make me happy. How could I not love it?” 

He answers matter-of-factly, like it's the most obvious thing in the world. Butterflies erupt in Sokka’s stomach at the implication in his words. 

“O-oh.” Sokka stutters, suddenly losing any coherent train of thought in the presence of this soft and domestic Zuko. Something clenches in his chest again at the thought of the Fire Lord being like this with Sokka  _ all the time _ . 

Whatever is happening with Zuko must be related to the love crystals, Sokka decides. Even though the Fire Lord isn’t acting much different towards him compared to their usual interactions, Sokka can feel rogue anxiety tingling throughout his entire body. If Zuko is actually under the influence of the aphrodisiac crystals, the side effects should wear off in a few hours. Until then, Sokka needs to distance himself as much as possible before he does something dumb like confess his undying love for his best friend. Or maybe even kiss that sweet smile right off his stupidly handsome face. 

Zuko dries off the last of the dishes and approaches the counter once again, smiling down at Sokka with the beautiful grin that makes him feel all gooey inside. His limbs feel like Avatar uncooked dough.  _ How can one single look make him feel so weak at the knees?  _

“You’re very important to me, Sokka.” Zuko answers, leaning forward to place a soft kiss on his forehead. Sokka positively melts at the contact, his brain turning into mush to match the rest of his body. 

Before he can stop himself, Sokka murmurs exactly what he’s thinking. “Zuko, you’ll always be the most important to me.” 

Zuko’s eyes widen at the unexpected confession and Sokka realizes what he just whispered.  _ Stupid, stupid, stupid!  _ Now is not the time for intimate moments if Zuko is somehow under the spell of the aphrodisiac crystals! Even though his best friend isn’t acting that much different than usual—just a little bit more forward in conversation—Sokka still needs to reel himself in until he figures out what the hell is going on. 

Zuko looks like he’s about to say something else but Sokka cuts him off in a panic, standing up abruptly and stuttering out a lame excuse about engineering projects. “I have to—the lab—you know, gears and whatnot. Plans. Um. See you at dinner!” 

Sokka practically sprints out of the kitchen, tripping over his feet and bumping into the edge of the doorway as he exits. He mumbles an apology to the door frame before realizing he’s somehow regressed to conversations with inanimate objects. He needs to get back to the lab  _ now _ before he embarrasses himself any further in front of Zuko.  _ Spirits, what is his problem? _

Zuko frowns in confusion at Sokka’s antics but continues his task of cleaning the kitchen anyway. He notices belatedly that the sugar container is now missing from the counter, but doesn’t think much of it. He must’ve already put it back in the cabinet while cleaning, Zuko supposes.  _ Oh well. _

———

Sokka spends the rest of the afternoon having a full-blown crisis. 

His hair is sticking up in weird places from his anxious hands constantly running through it, his eyes are bloodshot, and he can’t stop  _ thinking  _ about Zuko. He’s over analyzed every aspect of their meeting this morning to see if his best friend accidentally ingested the aphrodisiac crystals, but he’s come back empty-handed. There was no way to know for certain if Zuko had touched them, and at this point Sokka is too nervous to ask. 

He also doesn’t know whether to feel relieved that the crystals had very little effect on Zuko’s behavior, or if he should feel heartbroken. If he did ingest the crystals and there has been absolutely no effect, then logically that must mean Sokka is so far in the friendzone that not even aphrodisiac chemicals can help their relationship. He always felt like the two of them had strong chemistry and lots of romantic tension ever since the Boiling Rock mission, but now he’s not so sure. This doesn’t bode well for his colossal crush. 

_ Why wasn’t there an easy way to determine his possible exposure? _ If Zuko had been acting drastically different from his usual actions around Sokka then it would’ve been a clear indicator. Instead, Zuko was just a  _ tiny _ bit more affectionate than usual, but that doesn't mean anything definitively. In his experience the last three years, sometimes the Fire Lord just gets a little more affectionate or clingy after extra sleep or when he’s in a really good mood. Is Zuko’s reaction caused by a good mood on his day off or by the accidental ingestion of untested drugs? Sokka is going crazy. 

And whenever Sokka starts going crazy, he always turns to the same person for rational advice (and for that person to tell him he’s being an idiot).

“Suki!”’

Sokka stops her in the middle of an empty hallway once he finally tracks her down, nervously gripping her arm and avoiding eye contact. “Can I talk to you for a minute? It’s important.” She recognizes how rattled he sounds and nods quickly, dragging him into an unused office space where they’ll have a bit more privacy. Sokka follows blindly. 

“Sokka, what’s wrong?” She asked, her eyebrows scrunched together in worry, “Are you okay?”

Sokka starts to pace around the small office space, confessing to her everything that’s happened since the morning began in a jumble of word-vomit. Suki scrutinizes him as he rambles, concern evident on her face, nodding and interjecting with questions at all the appropriate places. After he’s done explaining, Sokka feels much more relaxed. Suddenly exhausted, he slumps down into the office chair and waits for Suki to collect her thoughts on the situation. 

“So you’re saying Zuko potentially consumed untested aphrodisiac crystals, but you can’t tell whether that’s true because he’s still being just as affectionate as he usually is?”

“Yes.” Sokka affirms, but his voice sounds strangled. 

Suki tilts her head to the side, pondering. “Maybe Zuko’s already so grossly in love with you that the aphrodisiacs haven’t had any noticeable effect?” 

“This isn’t the time to joke around!” Sokka squawks, burying his face in his hands miserably. 

Suki levels him with an unimpressed stare. “Who said I was joking? C’mon, Sokka.” 

“Zuko can’t be grossly in love with me, Suki! It’s just not possible.” Sokka answers indignantly, voice cracking like an embarrassing teenager. He shakes his head roughly, as if doing so can physically shake those thoughts right out of his brain. Filling up his head with fantasies of Zuko returning his feelings will only lead to a million more problems. 

Suki raises an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest like a disappointed school teacher. Sokka resists the urge to shrink back from her stare. “And why not?”

“Because  _ I’ve _ been grossly in love with  _ him _ for three years already!” Sokka sputters, no longer able to hold back his confession, “I think I would’ve noticed if he started acting lovesick around me.”

Suki blinks at him, eyebrows raised as if she’s considering his embarrassing word-vomit. Slowly she steps closer to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. When she speaks, her voice is soft. “Sokka, have you ever thought that maybe you never noticed Zuko’s reactions because there was never any change to begin with?”

“What do you mean?” 

Now Sokka is  _ really _ confused. What does Zuko’s typical reactions have to do with his current aphrodisiac-induced emotions towards him? Besides the boldness for initiating more physical contact, Sokka hasn’t observed any major changes in his demeanor or how they act towards each other. He trusts Suki with his life, but right now Sokka is beginning to question her logic. 

Suki sighs loudly, reaching her other hand upwards to grip both of his shoulders. In this position, Sokka is forced to look directly into her eyes as she speaks. He can see how serious she really is. “Maybe you don’t see any major changes in Zuko’s behavior towards you because he  _ always _ acts like a lovesick teenager when you’re around.” 

She enunciates the last part slowly as if she’s explaining a difficult concept to a child. Sokka’s brain is working in overdrive trying to wrap his head around what Suki is implying. Coming from anyone else, he would think this is some sort of cruel joke against his obvious feelings—but he knows he can trust her judgement. Suki is one of the only other people on the planet that understands Zuko the way Sokka does.

“It’s not the love crystals.” Sokka repeats in awe, almost too flabbergasted to believe it himself. Everything begins to make sense to him all at once—their lingering touches, their secretive glances, the way Zuko continuously treats him like a high priority.  _ Has Sokka really been so caught up in his ooey-gooey feelings for Zuko that he never realized the same feelings have always been reflected back towards him?  _

His eyes widen in shock as his jaw drops. With all the time he spends staring dreamily at Zuko, you would think Sokka would’ve become a little more observant. 

“It’s not about the love crystals,” Suki emphasizes, nodding her head with a soft smile on her face, “it’s about  _ you _ , Sokka.”

_ Oh.  _

Sokka has to find Zuko  _ immediately. _

“Uh—thanks, Suki! I really gotta go now and find—I don’t know if—Zuko—bye!” Sokka stutters helplessly, attempting to fully process the implications of their conversation. He has a wild look in his eyes and a stupidly wide grin on his face. Suki thinks it’s kinda cute how flustered he is at the mere thought of Zuko. 

“Go get him, champ.” 

———

The Fire Lord is busy drafting a letter to an Earth kingdom dignitary when Sokka bursts through his doorway, completely unannounced. Zuko is so startled by the sudden interruption that he practically falls out of his chair in surprise, singeing the edge of his parchment. They stare at each other with wide eyes for a moment and Sokka looks incredibly frazzled. When the ambassador doesn’t move from the doorway, Zuko tentatively speaks. 

“Sokka? Are you okay?”

This effectively shakes the other man from his stupor. Sokka surges forward, letting the door slam behind him, and approaches the desk cautiously. 

“It’s not about the love crystals?” Sokka asks quietly, almost as if he’s in awe. The phrase sounds like it should be a statement, but the ambassador asks as if it’s a question instead—shaky and unsure. 

“What do you mean?” Zuko questions, mind drawing a complete blank. When Sokka doesn’t answer right away, apparently too lost in thought, the Fire Lord begins to worry. The ambassador’s behavior has been so strange today…maybe he’s not feeling well? Zuko’s mind quickly runs through possible health complications that may explain the way Sokka has been acting.  _ Sun sickness? Cactus juice? Dehydration?  _

Zuko furrows his eyebrows, softly placing one hand on Sokka’s forehead to check his temperature and using his other to gently brush the dark bangs out of the other boy’s face. They seem to have escaped his signature wolf tail in some sort of hurry. “Sokka, are you okay? Maybe you should sit down. I’ll have a guard fetch you some water and we can—”

Sokka reaches up quickly to grab his departing wrist, keeping the other man’s hand pressed softly against his cheek. His eyes are wide and his cheeks are flaming. Zuko feels the heat buzzing through his fingertips, but this time the warmth isn't from his firebending. 

"How do you feel about me?” 

They lock eyes and Zuko flushes under the intensity of Sokka’s gaze.  _ What kind of question is that? _ There’s so much to unpack there. The fire lord starts to sweat nervously, terrified of saying the wrong answer and accidentally messing everything up. Does he tell the truth and possibly ruin their friendship or lie to avoid possible rejection?

“I—you know how much I care about you, Sokka. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

The answer apparently pleases the ambassador, who smiles softly at him with an overwhelmingly fond expression. Zuko thinks he could happily drown in this type of affection. Sokka looks like he’s glowing—all warm and content—until his shoulders begin to droop and he nervously avoids eye contact. “Listen, Zuko. I’m really sorry, but you need to know this. Earlier today, I think you—”

“I know about the aphrodisiacs, Sokka.” 

The ambassador freezes, face instantly going pale. He scrambles for an answer or an explanation but comes up empty-handed, clearly shocked by this confession. Zuko almost feels like laughing at the panicked look on Sokka’s face and the way his jaw goes slack in surprise. 

“What? How?” Sokka practically screeches, looking alarmed, “I swear it was an accident! I didn’t mean for—”

Before Sokka can launch into a desperate and rambling apology, Zuko cuts him off again with a teasing grin. “I know you didn’t mean to, idiot. Those things wore off hours ago anyway. For a while, I didn’t even notice they were affecting me.”

Sokka scrunches his eyebrows, partially relieved that Zuko isn’t screaming at him but also still  _ very  _ confused. “When did you realize?”

Zuko grins softly, rolling his eyes. “After I left the kitchens, I ran into Uncle in the hallway and spilled all of my sappy emotions to him. Specifically about how much I appreciate having him here with me in the palace and how much I love him as a stable father-figure in my life. I’ve obviously told him all that stuff before, but not so blatantly. I’m sure you know this, but sometimes I...have a hard time expressing my emotions.” Sokka snorts out a muffled laugh and Zuko sends him a pointed glare, but they both know there’s no malice behind it. 

“What did Uncle say?”

Zuko sighs, shaking his head fondly as he recalls their conversation. “He gave me a hug and then immediately started laughing at me, asking what type of aphrodisiac was influencing me to be so candid with my emotions. I kept spewing all the mushy stuff about yo—actually, it doesn’t matter—and then Uncle gave me an interesting herbal tea concoction to remedy the aphrodisiacs at a faster pace.”

While sipping his remedy tea, Zuko remembers pondering why he didn’t feel any different in the kitchens around Sokka. Yes, he had the strong urge to kiss the other man, but he normally has that urge so it’s nothing out of the ordinary. He supposes the urge was stronger than usual this afternoon, but the fact that Zuko barely even noticed the effects is slightly alarming. The two of them felt  _ domestic _ together in the kitchens, so cozy and content while teasing each other and managing little tasks without the staff around. Zuko remembers wishing every afternoon could be as peaceful as the one they shared today. 

Sokka reaches down to take both of Zuko’s hands in his, effectively breaking the other man out of his reverie.  _ Agni, how embarrassing. Daydreaming about his crush in front of the man himself—Zuko can never seem to stop embarrassing himself when it comes to romantic feelings.  _

“Well, how do you feel?” Sokka asks, stupidly concerned about Zuko’s well-being like the perfect and caring man he is, “How much do you remember?”

Zuko takes a deep breath. What else does he have to lose? At this point, he might as well be honest. “I remember all of it. And I don’t feel any different.” 

Now it’s Sokka’s turn to look startled and confused. His head tilts to the side like a confused puppy. “Huh?” 

“I don’t need some love drug to know how much you mean to me, Sokka. The aphrodisiac didn’t give me any new feelings—it just amplified the ones I already have.” Zuko quickly breaks eye contact, too nervous about what emotions he might see swirling in those beautiful blue eyes. After the past few years they spent together, he can read Sokka like an open book on his facial expressions alone—Zuko doesn’t know if he can handle interpreting his expression after such a vulnerable moment. 

“Thank Agni,” Sokka breathes, a dopey smile plastered on his face, “because this would've been really awkward if you didn’t feel the same.” 

Zuko’s head snaps upward so fast he almost gets whiplash, surprise and vulnerability coloring his features. Sokka looks positively giddy, staring at him like he’s the only person in the universe. Zuko melts under the attention. “The same?” He repeats cautiously. 

Sokka steps even closer, brushing a stray piece of Zuko’s hair behind his ear gently. Lovingly. “I’ve always felt the same. Ever since we were stupid kids running around the world and breaking into high level security prisons without a plan. Ever since then. For me, it’s always been you.” 

“Me too.” Zuko whispers, afraid of breaking the intimacy of the moment. 

“I—Uh, I made you this.” Sokka stutters, shyly pulling a beautiful stone carving of a fire lily blossom out of his pocket. The petals are so delicate and beautiful that Zuko gasps in awe. It’s breathtaking. “I know that fire lilies symbolize passion and l-love in the fire nation. And since they’re only around for a short time each year, I decided to carve you one so that you can have one all year! It’s kinda similar to the panda lily in the Earth kingdom, which also symbolizes love from what I remember and—”

Zuko takes the carved blossom gently in his hands, his chest fluttering with a million sappy emotions. He feels exactly like he did when he was under the influence of the aphrodisiacs—emotional, gushy, and so incredibly in love with Sokka that it physically hurts. “When did you make this? It’s beautiful.” 

“ _ You’re  _ beautiful.” The other man emphasizes, “And I actually crafted it about—uh, about a year ago?” Sokka says the last part like it's a question, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment and refusing to meet Zuko’s eyes. 

_ A year ago?  _ Sokka carved this symbol of passion and love for him over a  _ year  _ ago? 

“That long?” He whispers in awe, brushing his finger over the intricate details of the petal. 

“I wanted to give it to you sooner, but I kept losing my nerve. Katara and Suki nagged at me for months, but I had to wait for the right moment with you. I know how much you love the fire lilies when they bloom each year, but they’re always gone so fast.” Sokka grins softly, staring down at the vibrant flower in Zuko’s hands, “I wanted to make something that shows you my love all year around, not just for a few days each year.”

Zuko can’t take it anymore, he feels like he’s going to combust. He gently places the flower on the table for safekeeping before promptly launching himself at Sokka, grabbing the collar of his tunic and pulling him into a passionate kiss. Sokka muffles a sound of surprise before melting into the kiss as well, gently cupping Zuko’s face like he’s the most precious thing in the world. 

Zuko feels like there’s electricity coursing through his veins, making his body tingle pleasantly. Thankfully, the sensation is much different than the feeling of redirecting lightning, which he’s obviously very familiar with. He almost can’t believe he’s  _ kissing _ Sokka and Sokka is kissing him back just as desperately, pulling him impossibly closer until they’re practically melted into one person. This is way better than any of his angsty teenage daydreams could’ve imagined. 

Growing up, Zuko’s mother had read him a lot of fairy tales about the magic of true love’s kiss—about how time stops and fireworks explode while dreamy music plays. He always used to groan at that part of the story, never believing it could truly happen. But the fireworks currently exploding in his chest prove just how wrong he was. The only thing his brain can process is  _ finally  _ and Sokka, Sokka, Sokka, Sokka.

_ Wow _ . 

“Wow.” Sokka murmurs as they pull away, mirroring Zuko’s thought process exactly. The Fire Lord can only nod in agreement, struggling to catch his breath and straightening his disheveled topknot. 

“Wow.” Zuko echoes. 

Sokka thinks for a moment and then smirks mischievously, wrapping his strong arms around Zuko’s waist to haul him closer until they’re chest to chest again. “I guess I’ll have to let Teo know that the aphrodisiacs work great, huh?”

He wiggles his eyebrows like an idiot, peppering tiny little kisses all over Zuko’s face until the other man is giggling and squirming. In Sokka’s arms like this, he can’t seem to stop laughing and smiling like a lovesick dumbass. The ambassador looks satisfied. 

Zuko pulls away, pretending to be annoyed as he cleans up his discarded papers. He puts the fire lily carving right by his desk lamp so he’ll be able to see it each day while doing paperwork and writing letters. With an exaggerated sigh paired with a dramatic eye roll, Zuko answers, “You’re lucky I love you, idiot.” 

Sokka smiles back at him softly. “Yeah, I really am.”


End file.
